Chasemaster Kohli does it once again

5 April 2014 4:02 AM IST

India defeat South Africa by six wickets to enter final

Virat Kohli is placed 4th in the ICC T20 rankings for batsmen. - AP

Dhaka: Former champions India upstaged South Africa by six wickets in the second semifinal in Dhaka on Friday to cruise into the final of World Twenty20.Chasing 173 to win, India were led by a swashbuckling knock of 72 not out by Virat Kohli as they strolled to the tagret with five balls to spare.

This becomes India’s second final in five World Twenty20s after they won the inaugural event held in South Africa in 2007. They meet Sri Lanka in the final in Dhaka on Sunday.

In contrast, South Africa, regarded as perennial chokers in crucial matches, yet again failed to reach any world level final since their readmission into cricket in 1991.

Kohli smashed five boundaries and two sixes off 44 balls in a brilliant display of batting, highlighting India’s strength at chasing a target. He hit paceman Dale Steyn for a boundary to seal the win much to the jubiliation of a packed Sher-e-Bangla stadium.

Kohli and other Indian batsmen blunted South Africa’s best bowlers, leg spinner Imran Tahir joint highest wicket taker so far in the tournament with 12 and paceman Steyn with authority. Tahir managed just one wicket for 30 runs

Scorecard:

South Africa:

Q de Kock c Dhoni b Kumar 6, H. Amla b Ashwin 22, F du Plessis b Ashwin 58, JP Duminy (not out) 45, AB de Villiers c RG Sharma b Ashwin 10, D. Miller (not out) 23. Extras (b 1, lb 3, w 3, nb 1) 8.

Total (for four wickets in 20 overs) 172.

FoW: 1-9, 2-44, 3-115, 4-129.

Bowling: Bhuvaneshwar Kumar 4-0-33-1, Mohit Sharma 3-0-34-0, Ashwin 4-0-22-3, Ravindra Jadeja 2-0-8-0, Suresh Raina 4-0-35-0, Amit Mishra 3-0-36-0.

India:

Rohit Sharma c du Plessis b Hendricks 24, Ajinkya Rahane c de Villiers b Parnell 32, Virat Kohli (not out) 72, Yuvraj Singh c de Villiers b Imran Tahir 18, Suresh Raina c du Plessis b Hendricks 21, M.S. Dhoni (not out) 0. Extras (w 9) 9.

Total (for four wickets in 19.1 overs) 176.

FoW: 1-39, 2-77, 3-133, 4-167.

Bowling: Duminy 3-0-29-0, Morkel 2-0-17-0, Steyn 3.1-0-36-0, Hendricks 4-0-31-2, Parnell 3-0-33-1, Tahir 4-0-30-1.

( Source : PTI )

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Chasemaster Kohli does it once again

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